Cartridge reloading device



June 6, 1967 G- R. THORP CARTRIDGE RELOADING DEVICE Filed Dec. 29, 1965 lnvenlor B e-0,21 gull war Aflorneys Patented June 6, 1967 3,323,405 CARTRIDGE RELOADING DEVICE George R. Thorp, High St., East Markham, Newark, England Filed Dec. 29, 1965, Ser. No. 517,277 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Jan. 2, 1965, 187/65 3 Claims. (Cl. 86-23) This invention relates to improvements in cartridge reloading devices, whereby spent shot-gun cartridge cases can be fitted with a new percussion cap, and rc-charged with powder and shot.

The object of the invention is to provide a loading device in which each spent case to be reloaded can be expeditiously positioned by hand in each of a succession of operating stations, with particular emphasis on the correct positioning of the case at an operating station at which it receives the new cap and the charges of powder and shot, and the controlling of the diameter of the reloaded case.

A further object of the invention is to provide a loading device having a single manually-actuated movable part of simple construction for the accurate performance at successive stations of operations involving pressure application lengthwise of the case undergoing reloading.

According to the present invention, a cartridge reloading device comprises a downwardly directed charging ram, a bracket mounted for sliding movement in the lengthwise direction of the ram, manually operable means for effecting the sliding movement, the bracket including a base to receive the percussion cap end of a spent cartridge case, and a wing spaced from the base sufficiently for the reception of the length of the case between the base and the wing, the wing having an aperture in axial alignment with the charging ram and a Wad guide sleeve being mounted in the aperture and slidable in it between a raised position in which it is clear of a case applied to the base and a lowered position in which it fits over the upper end of the case.

The wad guide sleeve preferably contains downwardly directed fingers to fit inside the wall of the upper end of case.

As will appear from the detailed description below, the sliding sleeve permits the ready insertion and removal of the case to be reloaded, and ensures that the pressure of the charging ram is not borne by the upper end of the case.

A further feature of the invention consists of a crimping die towards which the recharged case can be brought by movement of the bracket, the die including a sleeve to receive part of the length of the case, there also being provided a loose sleeve to rest on the bracket and to receive the remaining length of the case. The two sleeves ensure sizing of the case to correct diameter, and only the loose sleeve is left on its part of the length when the case is removed from the crimping die, when the loose sleeve can be readily withdrawn.

Other features of the invention, including a lever-andtoggle operating mechanism for the bracket, will appear from the following description of the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment, to a smaller scale than FIGURES 2 to 7.

FIGURE 2 is a vertical section of a de-capping and base re-sizing device located at one operating station of the device of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical section of a wad guide sleeve located in alignment with a charging ram at another station;

FIGURE 4 is a vertical section of a re-capping device located in alignment with the sleeve of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a vertical section of a crimping and case re-sizing device loacted at another operating station;

FIGURES 6 and 7 are side views of a re-loaded case, respectively immediately after removal from the crimping station and after a manual operation then performed; and

FIGURES 8 is a fragmentary view of operating mechanism alternative to the mechanism shown in FIGURE 1.

In FIGURE 1, a pedestal 1 to be secured to a table or bench carries an upright round column 2 at the top of which is a horizontal support 3 for a sliding dispensing and valve plate 4 on which are removably carried inverted flasks 5, 6 for powder and shot respectively. From the support 3 depends a tubular charging ram 7. By sliding the plate 4 first in one direction and then the other, predetermined charges of powder and shot are in turn dispensed into the ram 7.

Slidable on the column 2 is a bracket 8, movable along the bracket by a lever 9 having integral parallel bottom bars 10 horizontally pivoted at 11 to the bottom part 12 of the bracket 8. The bars 11 are pivoted at 13 to parallel toggle links 14, which are pivoted at 15 to a lug 16 on the pedestal 1. The links 14 being guided by the sides of the lug 16, they in turn guide the bars 11, and this in turn maintains correct orientation of the bracket on the column 2, so that the bracket maintains alignment with the ram 7 (and other mechanisms to be described later) without the need for any key-Way or like locating means along the column.

Above its bottom portion 12, the bracket 8 has a base 17, which is connected by an intermediate hub 18 to an upper wing 19. The base and the wing together provide for the location of various operating stations, including one co-axial with the ram 7. These stations will now be described in the order of operations involved in converting a spent cartridge case into a reloaded cartridge.

The first station is occupied by the tie-capping and base re-sizing device of FIGURE 2, in which the bracket 8 is shown in raised position. A plunger 20, supported and guided by a stem 21 passing through the base 17 to the pedestal 1, has a conical upper end 22 that protrudes beyond a sizing ring 23 fixed in the wing 19, a pin 24 projecting co-axially from the plunger, in alignment with a hole 25 in the support 3. With the bracket 8 lowered, a spent cartridge case A is placed inverted on the plunger 20. Raising of the bracket brings the metal end B of the case against the support 3, causes the pin 24 to extract the spent percussion cap C, and forces the end B into re-sizing engagement with the inside of the upper end of the sleeve 23. The bracket 8 is lowered, and the case A is removed.

The case A is then moved to a charging station, and placed with its metal end B on a plate 26 (see particularly FIGURE 4), supported by a spring 27 in the base 17, in alignment with the ram 7, a fresh cap C1 having been placed on a fixed peg 28 aligned with a central cavity 29 in the plate 26. To place the case A in this position, a wad guide sleeve 30 (see particularly FIG- URE 3), in alignment with the ram 7 and the plate 26, must first be raised, to admit the open upper end of the case A below the wing 19 of the bracket 8. The sleeve 30 has a head 31, which serves to support it in lowered position on the wing 19, and also to secure a thin sleeve 32 with depending fingers 33, which fit inside the end of the case A. Raising of the bracket 8 brings the ram 7 inside the case A until it bears on the inside of the metal end B, to depress the plate 26 (FIGURE 4), so that the new cap C1 is forced into the end B.

The valve plate 4 is slid to dispense a charge of powder into the hollow ram, and lowering of the bracket 8 allows the charge D (FIGURE 5) to remain in the case A. Wads E are then inserted by hand through the sleeve 30 and are guided clear of the open end of the case A 3 by the fingers 33, so that further raising of the bracket 8 enables the ram 7 to act on the wads only in compressing them on to the powder D. Appropriate sliding of the plate 4 enables a charge of shot F to be left by the ram in the case A.

The open end of the case A is then applied to a conical, radially serrated recess 34 in the underside of the support 3 to initiate a closure of the open end preparatory to positioning of the case at a crimping station (see particularly FIGURE 5). A loose sleeve 35 is placed on the lower end of the case A, and the metal end B is placed on the wing 19 in alignment with a sleeve 36 of a crimping die depending from a screwed stem 37 adjustable by a nut 38 as to the suspended height of the sleeve 36 below the support 3. Raising of the bracket 8 brings the sleeve 35 to the crimping sleeve 36, so that the case A is entirely contained between the two sleeves. The limiting upward movement of the bracket 8 is completed when the coils of a spring 39 round the stem compress solid, at which time a head 40 on the stern effects the crimping at G of the open end of the case A.

The case A being contained within the sleeves 35 and 36, the pressure applied during crimping sizes the case to the internal diameter of the sleeves. When the bracket 8 is lowered, the case A, with its loose sleeve 35, either remains suspended from the crimping sleeve 36, when it can be withdrawn by hand, or descends with the bracket. The crimped end protrudes from the sleeve B (FIGURE 6), when it is a simple matter first to push the case along the sleeve (FIGURE 7) and then to draw the sleeve over the crimped end.

The whole sequence of operations can be performed very expeditiously, so that one operator can reload a plurality of cartridges, with paper or plastic cases, in each successive minute.

FIGURE 8 shows an inversion of the lever-and-toggle mechanism of FIGURE 1. The lever 9A depends its parallel bars 10A pivoted at 11A to a lug 16A of the pedestal 1A, parallel toggle links 14A being pivoted at 13A and 15A to the bars 10A and the bracket 8A respectively. It is possible for the lever 9A to be arranged for pedal operation, thus leaving the operator with both hands free for the performance of the operations at the various stations and the sliding of the valve plate 4.

What I claim is:

1. A cartridge reloading device, comprising a downwardly directed charging ram, a bracket mounted for sliding movement in the lengthwise direction of the ram, manually operable means for effecting the sliding movement, the bracket including a base to receive the percussion cap end of a spent cartridge case, and a wing spaced from the base sufliciently for the reception of the length of the case between the base and the wing, the wing having an aperture in axial alignment with the charging ram and a wad guide sleeve being mounted in the aperture and slidable in it between a raised position in which it is clear of a case applied to the base and a lowered position in which it fits over the upper end of the case, a pedestal for the column, an operating lever including integral parallel bars containing a pivot, a lug on the pedestal, parallel toggle links pivoted to the parallel bars of the lever the parallel bars and the links providing for pivotal connections to the bracket and the pedestal lug and for maintaining correct orientation of the bracket on the column during sliding movement of the bracket.

2. A reloading device as in claim 1, comprising a decapping plunger and pin mounted on the base of the bracket, and a cartridge base re-sizing device mounted in alignment therewith on the wing of the bracket.

3. A cartridge reloading device, comprising a charging ram and a crimping device, both downwardly directed, a bracket mounted for sliding movement in the lengthwise direction of the ram and the crimping device, manually operable means for effecting the sliding movement, the bracket including a base to receive the percussion cap end of a spent cartridge case, and a wing spaced from the base sufficiently for the reception of the length of the case between the base and the wing, the wing having an aperture in axial alignment with the charging ram and a wad guide sleeve being mounted in the aper ture and slidable in it between a raised position in which it is clear of a case applied to the base and a lowered position in which it fits over the upper end of the case, the wing also serving to support a reloaded case in alignment with the crimping device, which device comprises a crimping die towards which the recharged case can be brought by movement of the bracket, the die including a sleeve to receive part of the length of the case, there also being provided a loose sleeve to rest on the bracket and to receive the remaining length of the case.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 7/1874 Beardslee 8625 11/1964 Bachhuber 86-31 

1. A CARTRIDGE RELOADING DEVICE, COMPRISING A DOWNWARDLY DIRECTED CHARGING RAM, A BRACKET MOUNTED FOR SLIDING MOVEMENT IN THE LENGTHWISE DIRECTION OF THE RAM, MANUALLY OPERABLE MEANS FOR EFFECTING THE SLIDING MOVEMENT, THE BRACKET INCLUDING A BASE TO RECEIVE THE PERCUSSION CAP END OF A SPENT CARTRIDGE CASE, AND A WING SPACED FROM THE BASE SUFFICIENTLY FOR THE RECEPTION OF THE LENGTH OF THE CASE BETWEEN THE BASE AND THE WING, THE WING HAVING AN APERTURE IN AXIAL ALIGNMENT WITH THE CHARGING RAM AND A WAD GUIDE SLEEVE BEING MOUNTED IN THE APERTURE AND SLIDABLE IN IT BETWEEN A RAISED POSITION 